Discovering taste of Ireland – Iconic Guinness Soda Bread Recipe
What is the first thing that comes to mind, when you think of Ireland? For most people, it will be a picture of emerald green Island, shamrocks, leprechauns, Riverdance, and, of course, Guinness beer. But what about bread?
A little bit of history
The known history of soda bread goes back to native Americans. In Ireland, it was Nicolas Leblanc, who developed the first-ever soda bread recipe. If only he knew that not only he created an amazing product, but potentially helped Irish people through some toughest times in their history. As a result, there are countless soda bread recipes, from very traditional “bread-like” versions to more modern ones, filled with cheddar, sweet berries, and chocolate.
Unfortunately, history does not specify, who’s the brilliant idea it was to combine soda bread with Guinness – the most iconic of Irish beers. Nonetheless, we will be forever grateful to that person, as they’ve created one of the most amazing items in history on baking – Guinness Soda Bread. It’s a perfect combination of toasty and lightly sweet notes, followed by hints of chocolate, coffee, and smoke, with the smooth chewy, almost caky texture of soda bread.
Why Guinness Soda Bread?
When I first traveled around Ireland back in 2018, I stopped for a bite in a small village up North, entered the only open pub, and that was the day when I tasted the most delicious Guinness bread of all times. It was truly unique, and many times after that I ordered Guinness bread in other places across the country – while they all were good, but they were not THAT ONE. After that, I got obsessed with the idea of re-creating the recipe, which will get me as close as possible to the taste and flavor, and probably even further. And, of course, when to do it, if not during the lockdown, right?
Therefore, playing with ingredients and spices, I finally got to the point where I was delighted with the result. This Guinness bread recipe has the best of both worlds – the texture of traditional soda bread, as well as rich notes of Guinness, chocolate, and coffee. Considering upcoming St. Patricks day, I am super happy to share this recipe with you – it has some tricks, but I promise you, you will be absolutely blown away with the result!
So, let’s get started…
Although it may seem like a lot of ingredients, trust me, all of them are key to create that special flavor I mentioned above.
PS In addition, if you’re looking for a perfect dessert – check out my White Chocolate and Cherry Brownies recipe.
Guinness Soda Bread Recipe
Let's rock it! St. Patrick's day is over, but there is always time to make this iconic Guinness soda bread! Forget green cocktails and green desserts, make this best ever Guinness soda bread and enjoy a true taste of Ireland.
Ingredients
Syrup:
- 25 grams Brown Sugar
- 3 grams Instant Coffee
- 25 grams Water
- 25 grams Golden Syrup
Batter:
- 300 grams Wholemeal Flour
- 75 grams Plain Wheat Flour
- 20 grams Cocoa Powder
- 25 grams Melted Unsalted Butter
- 150 grams Chilled Guinness Beer
- 200 grams Milk
- 100 grams Treacle Syrup
- 3 grams Salt
- 8 grams Baking Soda
- 1 gram Nutmeg
Instructions
- You start by preparing Coffee caramel syrup, which I used to boost the rich chocolate aroma of the bread. Mix sugar, syrup, coffee, and water in the pan. Cook on medium to high heat until syrup reaches 106 °C. Use a cooking thermometer to ensure you don't overcook your syrup. Keep mixing throughout to avoid syrup burning. Once ready - leave it to cool down.
- Your next step is to weigh up the rest of the ingredients. Put all dry components into the bowl (2 flours, cocoa powder, salt, soda, nutmeg), and combine them with a whisk, so that they get evenly distributed.
- Then, add your liquid components one-by-one: melted butter, milk, Guinness, treacle syrup, and pre-made Coffee caramel syrup.
- The last step will be to carefully mix them with a spatula or a spoon, until smooth and even. Place your batter into the baking tin. I like to generously grease it with vegetable oil or baking spray. This helps the bread will not get burned to the sides of the tin.
- Bake at 160°C/320 °F for ~50-60 min (w/o fan). Check readiness with a wooden stick or by tapping the loaf with your hand - if you hear a hollow sound, then it's ready.
Notes
One last tip, If you want the flawless top of your loaf. Grease your fingertips in vegetable oil and then dip gently into the center of your batter, as if you are making a line. This creates a nice even crack at the top of the bread, instead of random cracks on the sides. It's totally optional, your bread will still look and taste great without it.
